A review published in December 2015 in the journal Diabetes Therapy suggested ultra-low-carb diets were effective at managing blood sugar, decreasing weight, and managing cardiovascular risk in individuals with type 2 diabetes in the short term, but the benefits were not sustainable over the long term. When compared with higher-carb diets over a period of longer than about 12 weeks, the health results were similar.
Hi Maya. I LOVE your site!! Interesting, informative with fab recipes and ideas. Hubby and I have just started eating low carb and I have to say, we are not finding it too difficult and I already feel sooo much better!! I find the hardest part is choosing low carb veg, I feel as if we are not eating enough. Any suggestions on how to get more veggies into our diet?

I am sorry you had this experience. I feel that this educator was not giving you good advice. All my women who want to lose weight are recommended to consume 30 grams of good carbohydrates at each meal, and 15 at each snack. If you were not trying to lose weight, I would have recommended 45. I find this is all it usually takes to begin to lose some weight as you start to get active. Patients set their own goals with motivational help from their Certified Diabetes Educator. Our intent is never to insult, and you should not have gone through that. It sounds that you have now found the right path. There are many CDEs who could help you, so see what tools and motivation others may offer. I wouldn’t let one bad apple spoil the whole bunch. Many CDEs are also diabetic.

Adequate food records were available for analysis in a proportion of participants at each of the 4 timepoints (Table ​(Table2).2). Participants completed food records at a mean of 2.5 and a median of 3 timepoints. In general, comparing baseline to subsequent timepoints, mean carbohydrate intake decreased substantially and energy intake decreased moderately while protein and fat intake remained fairly constant.

Some of us experience a rise in BG that’s hard to manage when trying Keto. This is one of the reasons why keto did not work out for me (plus weight gain and feeling lousy). That being said, there could be a lot of other reasons why he’s running high, so I’d highly recommend you work with a medical professional and dietitian if you decide to continue down this path. And if your doctor isn’t supporting you, find one that will.

You’ll find that in their meals, they emphasize a plant-based eating approach, loaded with vegetables and healthy fats, including olive oil and omega-3 fatty acids from fish. It’s a diet known for being heart-healthy. (1) "This diet is rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, seafood, nuts and legumes, and olive oil," says Nancy L. Cohen, PhD, RD, professor of nutrition at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. On this plan, you’ll limit or avoid red meat, sugary foods, and dairy (though small amounts like yogurt and cheese are eaten).

The DASH diet, the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet, is mainly used to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, but it may also help you to lose weight. This diet emphasizes the consumption of foods that are low in cholesterol and saturated fat. It encourages eating a lot of fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy foods. If you are looking to lose weight with the DASH diet, all you need to do is understand how the diet is structured and modify the diet to suit your weight loss needs. You will start seeing results in a few weeks to months’ time.[1]

The MIND diet, or Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, is a sort of hybrid between the DASH diet and the Mediterranean diet. It features foods meant to slow the progression or development of Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia and an incurable neurodegenerative condition that more than 5 million Americans are living with, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. (12) Some research backs up this notion, including a study published in September 2016 in Alzheimer’s Dementia that found a link between following the MIND Diet and a reduced risk of the disease. (13)

On day 1, lunch is 3 cups of spinach topped with 3 ounces of salmon or sardines; the greens are loaded with vitamins A and K, plus iron, while the fish supplies protein and omega-3 fats. Include some chopped veggies on your salad, like tomato, broccoli and bell pepper for fiber and vitamin C to help you absorb the iron. Have a salad again on day 5, but use romaine lettuce this time, and substitute cannellini beans for your protein and choose cucumber, carrots and asparagus tips as veggies. Opt for olive oil and red wine or balsamic vinegar for your dressing.

For the ketogenic eating plan, participants were instructed to reduce non-fiber-containing carbohydrates to between 20 and 50 grams a day, with no calorie restriction. The group following the plate method were told to eat their meals on a nine-inch plate, filling half of it with non-starchy vegetables (eg, greens, peppers, broccoli, carrots), ¼ of the plate with whole grains (eg, brown rice, sweet potatoes, whole wheat bread) and adding lean protein (eg, skinless chicken, turkey, fish, and seafood) to the last quarter of the plate.1

If you want to lose weight, you’d better avoid special “low-carb” products that are full of carbs. This should be obvious, but creative marketers are doing all they can to fool you (and get your money). They will tell you that you can eat cookies, pasta, ice cream, bread and plenty of chocolate on a low-carb diet, as long as you buy their brand. They’re full of carbohydrates. Don’t be fooled.

People claiming huge benefits of these supplements – despite the lack of solid scientific support – may sometimes have a financial reason to believe in the supplements. Some of these products are sold under a multi-level marketing arrangement, where sales people are paid based on commission. For example, the company Prüvit sells drinkable ketones, called KETO//OS with a multi-level marketing structure.